Adjustable field dehydrator



H. c. EDDY, ADJUSTABLE HELD DEHYDRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1921.

' Patsnteol Sept, 265, 1922 .Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

innate earner arias.

HAROLD EDDY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T PETROLEUM RECTI- FYING COMIPANY OF CALIFORNIA, 0F RATION OF CALIFORNIA.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPO ADJUSTABLE FIELD .DEHYDZRATOR.

Application filed June 25,

To all whom it may concern: Be it-known that I, HAROLD -EDDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Field Dehydrator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dehydrators and particularly to dehydrators which are adapted to remove water from petroleum oils by the use of .an electric field. v

It is a well known factrthat if petroleum emulsions are .subjected to an electric field that the fine water particles of the emulsion tend to agglomerate into larger masses which ma be readily settled out by gravity.

by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. In the form of the invention shown, 11 is he rincipal object of my invention is to provide a dehydrator in which the electric field is adjustable.

A further object of my invention-is to provide means in such an adjustable dehydrator for preventing the persistence of the water chains ordinarily formed in such a dehydrator. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a dehydrator of the above described will be mechanically Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only,

'Fig. 1 is a section through a preferred embodiment of my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a section on a plane represented a tank provided with an inlet pipe 17 and an outlet pipe 18, the outlet pipe being carried to a T 19, andvented as shown at 20 to maintain a constant supply of fluid in the tank 11. Mounted on brackets. and insulators 26 is a platform 27 carrying bearings 28: in which a shaft 29 is free to turn.

. This shaft is provided with a crank 30 connected through a link 31 with 'a-cran'k 32 carried on a shaft 33'. The shaft33' is driven by a pulley 34 by means of a'ru'bber or other insulating belt from 1 motor 36. Suspended onarms 40 from the shaft 29 is a flat plate 41 which forms the moving electrode of the system. Carried inside the tank 11 are 'two plates 50, each of these plates being carried on four bolts 51 which are engaged by a nut 52 having a hand wheel 53. The nut 52 is axially restrained by a casting in and out.

1921. Serial No. 480,349.

54being free to turn in that casting. A transformer having a low voltage primary 61 and a high voltage secondary 62 is provided. the secondary 62 being connected through a wire 63 with a platform 27 and hence with the moving electrode 41, the other side of the secondary being connected through a wire 64 with the tank 11 and hence with the plates 50. i

The method of operation of the invention is as follows:

The emulsion being delivered through the pipe 17 to the interior of the tank, this tank is filled to the level of the 'T 19 with such emulsion. The motor 36 being started, the crank 32 revolves and oscillatesthe crank 30 through the link 31 due to the fact that the crank 30 is considerably longer than the crank 32. The oscillation of the crank 30 moves the moving electrode 41 from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 into the position shown in dotted lines in that figure. In other words, the moving electrode 41 moves back and forth inside the tank in its own plane cutting the liquid just as a knife would cut it. This movement of the electrode is accomplished therefor with a minimum agitation or disturbance of the emulsion. -,The secondary 62 sets up an intense electric field between the" plate 41 and the plates 50 and this field tends to establish water conducting chains between the plates. The movement of the plate 41 tends to prevent these chains from persisting.

An important feature of my invention is the fact that the distance between plates 41 and the plates 50 can be adjusted by turning the hand wheels'53 which moves the plates apparatus is running to adjust these plates so that the length of the field can be readil changed to suit the/particular type of emu sion being treated. As electrode 41 swings to its extreme positions, a field is establishedfor a few seconds between the edge of the electrode 41 and the end of the tank 11, changing from one end to theother as the electrode swings.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a dehydrator, the combination of: a moving electrode formed of a fiat plate; and means for moving said plate in its own plane.

2. In a dehydrator, thecombination of: a moving electrode formed of a fiat plate; and

It is possible that while the plane.

. electrode to vary the distance between saidv 3. In a dehydrator, the combination of: a moving electrode; a stationary electrode parallel to said moving electrode; and means the position of said stationar electrode to vary the distance between sai electrodes.

7. In a dehydrator, the combination of: a

moving electrode formed of a flat plate of metal; means for oscillating said flat plate for adjusting the distance between said elecin its own plane; a stationary electrode trodes. I

4. In a dehydrator, the combination of a moving electrode; a stationary electrode parallel to said moving electrode; and means for adjusting the position of said stationary electrodes.

5. In a dehydrator, the combination of: a

'moving electrode formed of a fiat plate of metal; a stationary electrodeparallel to said 1 r moving electrode; and means for adjusting the distance between said electrodes. 1:

' In a dehydrator, the combination of: a moving electrode formed of aflat plate of metal; a stationary electrode parallel to'said moving electrode; and means for adjusting parallel to said moving electrode; and means for adjusting the distance between said electrodes. v y

8. In a dehydrator, the combination of: a moving electrode formed of a flat plate of metal; means for oscillating said flat plate in its own plane; a stationary electrode parallel to said moving electrode; and means for adjusting the position of said stationary electrode to vary the distance between said electrodes.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 17th day of June, 1921.

' HAROLD c. EDDY. 

